The number of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in Peterborough has risen from 1,510 to 1,605 in the past month, with the total for 18 to 24-year-olds remaining exactly at 280.

This time last year there were 2,500 claimants, of which 555 were aged 18 to 24.

Stephen Lankester, senior operations leader at the Department for Work And Pensions, said the rise in JSA claimants came from the loss in temporary Christmas jobs, with the pattern being seen across the region.

In Peterborough, 1.3 per cent of the population claim JSA, compared to 1.5 per cent nationally.

In the East of England, employment has risen by 18,000 between October and December.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith said: “February is another record-breaking month as the employment rate is now the highest it has ever been, wages continue to grow strongly, and 150,000 more disabled people are in work over the past year.

“People from all backgrounds, right up and down the country, are benefitting from our policies and now enjoying the security of a pay cheque. The East of England now has a record three million people in work, and the highest employment rate of any UK region at 78 per cent.”